Pipe-coupling.



J. MCFERRAN.

PIPE COUPLING.

APPLICATION mman 8.23. 1912.

l ,l 86,812. Patented June 1s, 1916.

////// NNY PIPE-COUPLING.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Je 13, 19115.

Application led February 23, 191g. Serial No. 679,393.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. MoFnnnAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have.invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Pipe-Couplings, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to pipe couplings,

and has for its objects the provision of a device for connecting a softmetal pipe or rod to any desired itting, or to connect two such sectionsof pipe or rod together without the use of solderor of soft packing, and

by means of which such sections may be secured together, or to thefittings, with such permanence and rigidity as not to be dislodgedtherefrom by any amount of jarring or shaking, or by any pull orpressure less than sucient to disrupt the section itself.

A. second object of the invention 1s the provision of a -device of thischaracter winch shall. dispense with thenecesslty for threading,grooving, beading, expanding, Haring, Hanging, or otherwise treatmg theends of the section in any manner whatsoever, and

' in which the parts can be easily and conveniently put together withoutdanger of their pulling apart or becoming disconnected during theprocess of connection, or requiring the employment of more than a singlepair of hands for the purpose ;w while further objects and advantages ofthe invention will become apparent in the course of the followingdescription and claims.

Generally speaking, my invention may be defined as consisting of thecombination of parts and elements recited in the claims anneXed heretoand illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming a part hereof,although it will be understood that the embodiments illustrated in thedrawings comprise but a very few of the great number of forms in whichmy invention can be embodied.

In these drawings, Figure l represents a perspective view of the sleeveor ferrule which 'forms an essential part of my im proved coupling; Fig.2- represents partly in elevation and partly'in cross-section the partsof a pipe coupling embodied in my mvention, the separate members beingillustrated in disconnected position, the better to illustrate themethod of assembling the same; Fig. 3 represents a'- cross-sectionallongitudinal view through a completed joint, the same being drawn to alarger scale the better to illustrate the condition of the parts wherethe joint is completed; and F ig. 4. represents a similar crosssectional View illustrating a modified form of joint adapted to theconnection ofthe adjacent ends of two soft; metal pipes.l

As is well known, they usual ractice in automobiles, motor boats, aeropanes, and other vehicles is to employ pipes of flexible soft metal suchas lead or copper wherever conduits are necessary, as for thedistribution of lubricant and the conveying of motive fluid,illuminating gas, and the like. The flexibility of these tubes permitsthem to be bent readily to fit the spaces provided therefor, while theirsoftness tends to insure them against crystallization and breakage as aresult of continued strain and vibration.

4The diliculty withV these conduits has always occurred at the joints,since soldered joints were liable to break and pull away, threadedjoints were prone to leak in addition to greatly weakening the tubing,while anged, drawn, and other joints have never proved satisfactory. Thejoint which forms ,in the patent to Burgess, No. 906,099, dated December8, 1908.

Describing the parts by reference characters, 1 represents the .body ofa pipe fitting to which it is desired to connect one or more tubes ofthe type described.v In the present embodiment thisl fitting isillustrated Ias a 'l' having nipples 2-2-2, to".

which are secured the flexible soft metal pipes 3' -3-3. Each of thenipples of the fitting is provided with a central bore 4 opening into aconical recess 5, the bottom of the recess forming a shoulder 6surrounding the bore, though this shoulder is not important to myinvention. The exteriors of the nipples are provided with screw threads7 f Upon the end ofthe pipe 3 is positioned 1o 11 is an annular rib 12,as shown in Fi s.

1 and 2. The diameter of the sleeve at t e n rib 12 is intermediate thelarger and smaller diameters of the recess 5. The other part of thecoupling consists of a nut 15, comprising an interiorly threadedcylindrical portion j16 adapted to engage the threaded portion 7 ofthenipple and an `inwardly projecting flange 17 having its inner surfacebeveled or tapered as at 18 complementarily lto that of the recess 5.The larger end of the portion 18 of the nut is preferably substantiallyequal in diameter to the adjacent end of the recess and both may be madeslightly smaller in diameter than the middle of the sleeve 10. When theparts are assembled, as shown in Fig. 2, the tube 3 introduced into therecess 5, the sleeve advanced into the recess so that the rib 12 engagesthe surface thereof, and the nut brought up and screwed upon thel nipple2,

it will be seen that a powerful inward pressure will be brought to bearupon the ribs 12, causing them to be pressed down toward the conicalsurface of the sleeve. At the 86 same time, the interior of the sleevewill be bulged inwardly, as at 19, so as to bite into the walls of thepipe as shown in Fig. 3,

and this eect may even go so far as to form a slight rib in theAinterior ofthe pipe, this effect depending upon the thickness andsoftness of the pipe, the height of the rib 12, and the amountof thecompression. At

the same time, if the device has been designed as above described, theadjacent portions of the flange 17 and recess 5 will engage the middleportion of the sleeve so as to constrict that also, this actionresulting in the formationk of a second bead at 20. This feature of thedevice may obviously be dispensed with without invention and withoutmaterially weakening the joint.

The above-described modification is applicable in every case where it isdesired to secure a pipe of soft metal to a fitting of hard metal. Incase it be desired to secure together two soft metal pipes or rods, themodification illustrated in Fig. 4 is preferably emplo'yed. In c. thisembodiment the pipes are indicated at 3 and 3, but instead f of thenipple 2 ya collar 2* is employed, said 5 collar having a portion 4*closel surround# ing the pipe 3* and having its orward end y recessed asat 5. The nut 15 is exactly the same as that above-described, as is also05 the sleeve 10, the beads 19 in this case being formed upon the endsof the dili'erent pipes rather than in the end of the same pipe.

It will be obvious from the foregoing that I have produced a joint inwhich the parts can be rapidly and conveniently joined together withoutthe employment of heat or of special tools, in which there is no dangerof slipping or shifting during the joining operation, and in which thepossibility of leakage or breakage is at a minimum.

While I have necessarily described the invent-ion in detail andparticularly pointed out the construction which my experience indicatesas preferable, I do not propose to bc limited to such details orrestricted to 30 such construction except as the same may be positivelyincluded in the claims hereto 'annexed or may be rendered necessary bythe prior state of the art.

It will also be understood that wherever in. the claims I have employedthe terms soft metal or hard metal, I mean merely such degree ofsoftness as shall permit the beading action of the members and not. anysuch arbitrary degree of softness or hard- 9o ness as would be impliedby rference to a fixed scale.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: i

1L In. a coupling for cylindrical metal 95A members, the 'combination,with a hard metal. member having a Haring recess adapt-l ed to receivethe coupled member, of 'a sleeve of strong ductile metal adapted tofit'closely about said coupled member andluoo having its vouter surfacetapered inthe same direction as said recess, an integral annuf lar ribsurrounding said sleeve at a point adjacent to the' smallest ortionthereof, the diameter of said rib being intermediate the largest andsmallest diameters of said recess, and means for forcing said sleeveinto said recess, the angle of slope of said l sleeve being greaterthan'that of said re-y cess whereby said sleeve may engage the interiorof said recess both at the periphery of said rib and at a point spacedfrom saidrib, whereby said sleeve is maintained with -its axis'parallelto said coupled member.

2. In a coupling for cylindrical ductile 11* metal members, thecombination with a hard metal member having at its end a flaring re- Acess adapted to receive one of said coupled members, of a sleeve ofstrong ductile material adapted to fit closely about said coupled memberand having its exterior tapered from its middle portion in bothdirections,

. an integral rib surrounding said sleeve adjacent to its yforward end,said rib havin a diameter intermediate the largest andv smallestdiameters of said recess, a second coupling member having `a portiontapered to correspondsubstantiall with the other tapered portion of saidseeve, and means whereby said coupling members may be 13 madera drawnforcibly together whereby said ribs will be pressed down toward theexteriorsurface of said sleeve and the interior surface of said sleevewill be beaded so as to interlock with said coupled member, each of saidcoupling members being formed to engage a portion of said sleeve betweensaid first ribs prior to. the complete closing of the coupling. j

3. In a coupling for cylindrical metal members, the combination with ahard metal member having at its end a flared recess adapted to receiveone of said coupled members, of a sleeve of strong ductile materialadapted to fit closely about said coupled member and having its exteriortapered from its middle portion in both directions, an integral ribsurrounding said sleeve adjacent to each of its ends, a second couplingmember having a portion iared to correspond substantially with thetapered portion of said sleeve, each of said ribs having a diameterintermediate the largest and smallest diameters' of the flared portionto which it is adjacent, and means whereby said coupling members may.ble drawn forcibly together whereby one of said ribs will be pressedrdown toward the exterior surface of said sleeve by said nut and theother similarly pressed inwardly by said hard metal'member and theinterior surface of saidsleeve will be beaded opposite each of said ribsso as to interlock with said coupled member, the middle portion of saidsleeve being of greater diameter than the mouth of said recess, wherebythe interaction of said recess and sleeve will form a bead upon thesleeve interior.

4. In a coupling for cylindrical compressible metal members, thecombination with a hard metal coupling member having at its end aflaring recess adapted to receive one of said coupled members, of asleeve of strong ductile material whose resistance to crushing isgreater than the resistance of coupled members to compression, saidsleeve being adapted to fit closely about said coupled members andhaving its exterior tapered from its middle portion in both directions,an integral rib surrounding said sleeve adjacent to each of its ends, .asecond coupling member having its interior tapered complementa-rily tosaid recess, and means for drawing said coupling members to ether withthe larger ends of their tapered portions adjacent to each other, saidribs having an original diameter intermediate the largest and smallestdiameters of said tapered portions.

5. In a coupling for two cylindrical metal members, the combination witha hard metal member having a cylindrical portion adapt ed to embrace oneof said soft metal members and also having at its end a flaring recessadapted to receive the end 'of said member, of a sleeve of materialwhose'resistance to crushing is greater than the resistance of said softmetal members to compression, said sleeve being adapted to receiveclosely the abutting ends of both coupled members and having itsexterior tapered from its middle portion in both directions, an integralrib surrounding said sleeve adjacent to each of its ends, a second hardmetal member having its interior tapered complementarily to said recess,and means for ydrawing said coupling members together with the largerends of their tapered portions adjacent to each other, said ribs havingan original diameter intermediate'the largest and smallest diameters ofsaid tapered portions. j

, In a coupling for soft metal members, the combination, with a fitting,of a sleeve adapted to surround and fit closely about such a member, andhaving an integral circumferential rib intermediate its ends, a couplingmember adapted to surround said sleeve and rib, said coupling memberbeing formed interiorly to engage said rib and a portion ofthe sleevesurface removed from said rib in advance of the rear of the sleevesurfaces, and means for drawing, said coupling member toward saidfitting and simultaneously constricting said rib, whereby said rib willbe reduced exteriorly and the interior of said sleeve beaded to engagesaid soft metal member.

7. In a coupling, the combination with coupling members provided withopenings to receive the member to be coupled, of a tapered sleeve ofstrong ductile material adapted to be placed over the members to becoupled between said coupling members and having an integralcircumferential r1b projecting from its tapered surface, one of saidcoupling members ybeing provided w1th a tapered opening adapted toreceive, said rib, and means for drawing said coupling members together,whereby said ductile 'sleeve may be swaged inwardly to form a bead 1nsaid sleeve and a corresponding groove in said member to be coupled withwhich said i bead will interlock, thus securing said coupled memberagainst movement relative to the members of the coupling. i

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aiix mv signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

' JOHN W. MoFERRAN.

Witnesses:

HAROLD S. 4SMITH, BRENNAN B. WEST.

